Mini Reviews

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Grade: B
Summary: Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Review: I've heard so much about Shatter Me in the book blogging community.  I was very reluctant to try it.  But I finally did.  I read it in 1 hour, which is an unusually short time, even for me (I speed read, but don't skim).  So that means I liked it, right?  For the most part, I did.  Juliette is an interesting character.  She has this unique ability that scares her to death.  She doesn't want to hurt anyone, she feels so alone, and yet she has a temper.  I liked how twisted Warner was, and I also wanted to punch him in the face.  James was adorable, and Kenji was hysterical.  The ending was awesome.  I loved how the "super powers" concept was just touched on, and I was left wanting more about them.  I didn't always like the format and the style of writing, though.  It felt awkward in places, and I got confused at times with Juliette's manner of thinking.  As for inappropriate content, there was a fair bit of language (but no f-bombs), the romance got heavy at moments, and the violence wasn't too graphic.  But this was a good read, considering how much trouble I had putting it down.



Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
Grade: B
Summary: Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

Review: It took me a little longer to read Unravel Me than it took to read Shatter Me.  But I still devoured it.  I loved, loved, loved everything about Omega Point.  All the new characters we were introduced to were awesome (the twins, Sonya and Sara; Brendon; Winston; all the other "Energies").  Also, Tahereh Mafi drove me crazy with this book.  I really wanted to hate Warner.  I was totally shipping Adam and Juliette throughout Shatter Me (although these days, I always worry that the character that seems so trustworthy is always so evil) and through most of Unravel Me.  And then Warner just came along and seemed so vulnerable (and yet, pretty much insane) and so...adorable.  And then there's that quote... (pg. 394, y'all). *throws a table* Thank you for messing with my ship, Tahereh.  Usually, I always have one ship that I stick with for an entire book series, even it's lost all hope.  But now I think I'm jumping ship. 
Okay, moving on.  Kenji got a lot better in this book, although he still has a mouth that needs to be washed out with soap.  Juliette is awesome.  She didn't immediately grow strong.  She reminded me of Katniss in Mockingjay a bit, and that's a compliment.  I was satisfied with how she treated herself and others (apart from the love triangle).  But how was I unsatisfied?  The angst, people, the angst.  I think I'm sort of an angsty person myself, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it in my books.  I felt like, time after time, Juliette was frozen in her tracks by Adam or Warner.  Adam was so mopey and emo that I wanted to shake him and say, "Get a grip, man!"  As for objectionable content, same amount of language (seriously, Kenji, you swear like a sailor!), romance got a bit heavier (chapter 62, people), and violence got a little more graphic, but not too terrible (not like that one scene in A.C. Gaughen's Scarlet that I'm still trying to erase from my memory).

Seriously, if you haven't read Shatter Me and Unravel Me yet, reeeeaaaaddddd them.  That is all.